Creative Stuff, Sermons, Resources From Matt Thiele

Category Archives: Journey Home

The book The Journey Home has been available since the start of the year. The stories of its use are pouring in!

One caring lady has bought and given away 12 copies to friends in a Nursing Home.

One person cherished this book through the last few months of their life and took it to the hospice at the end. The last thing this person read was ‘The Journey Home.’

One pastor has given away copies to everyone in an aged-care hostel!

Many have given it to their loved ones and used it to share Good News!

It is available from Amazon.com or you can call Immanuel Lutheran Church Buderim (07) 5445 6894 and we can supply it to you much cheaper ($22 per copy plus postage).

This book was born of 25 years’ experience of walking with those who are suffering. It is designed to help you think about important things that everyone needs to think about right now, but which many of us choose to ignore. This book is for people in pain. It’s for people who are worried or sick. It is designed to encourage, comfort, and to help you know that you are not alone. It’s designed to share. It has words. But if you don’t like words, enjoy the pictures!

It will be available at the Immanuel Office and for online order.

This book came about as two things that happened almost at once. Firstly, the author showed a picture book to a dying friend and realised that pictures sometimes help more than words. Secondly, a pastor called seeking resources for those on the final journey to read. These two experiences came together and birthed this book! It is simple in design, but carefully and sensitively constructed to help people consider their journey in a positive way. The book has 27 beautiful pictures, each of a path or road, to be reflected on. Readers are encouraged to simply sit with a picture and imagine where the road or path leads. The writing is sparse and large so that the book can be read together with a companion. It can be taken to someone in need, given as a gift, or left at a bedside.

The ‘seven reflections’ at the start gently deal with critical grief issues that those approaching death often face. They use the framework of Christ’s journey home to highlight and help us through the important things we each need to face on our journey. The last two thirds of the book contain a collection of reflections, quotes and prayers that can be used individually without having to read the whole.

The Journey Home is written from a Christian point of view. It also makes use of key psychological insights into the grief process of those who are dying. It attempts to remain sensitive to those of different perspectives, but unashamedly talks of the ‘Fellow Traveller’, Jesus who goes with us and ahead of us. It is our hope that The Journey Home will be of help to anyone on the journey of life. Journey well!